Adams Wins MLL Goalie of the Year Award

BOSTON -- Major League Lacrosse announced
Monday that Long Island Lizards goalkeeper Drew Adams has been
named as the 2011 Warrior MLL Goalkeeper of the Year, according to
MLL Commissioner David Gross. The award was based on the votes
submitted by the head coaches and general managers of each of the
League's six teams.

The vote was close. Adams won by two points over Boston's Jordan
Burke. Denver's Jesse Schwartzman finished in third, eight points
behind Adams.

"It's definitely an honor; it's a little bittersweet since we're
not in the playoffs, but it's a reflection of our defense and our
team as a whole," Adams said. "It's not an individual award in my
eyes, you can't win it without a great team behind you, but it's
definitely an honor."

In his second season as the Lizards' starting goalkeeper, Adams
ranked fourth in the MLL with an 11.75 goals against average. He
also ranked third in the MLL with a .561 save percentage while
leading the league in minutes played (704:44).

A graduate of Penn State University, Adams recorded 15 or more
saves six times this season, including a career-high 24 saves
against Boston on July 16 which earned him MLL Defensive Player of
the Week honors. He also earned the MLL Defensive Player of the
Week award after making 16 saves in the Lizards' July 23 win at
Chesapeake.

In three MLL seasons, Adams has recorded a .543 save percentage
while allowing 11.60 goals per game. He has made 325 saves in 25
career games, a 13.0 average.

"Warrior would like to congratulate Drew on an outstanding
season," said Dave Dixon, Warrior Chief Marketing Officer. "The
Warrior MLL Goalkeeper of the Year honor is evidence of a
tremendous personal effort on the field and we are proud to present
this award to him."

In early August, Adams told LaxMagazine.com: "I looked at the
second half of the season as a challenge to get better personally.
At the same time, I was helping the team get back in the race for
the playoffs. There was no one real phase that sparked my run. It
was more so putting things in perspective and wanting to go out and
help the team."

"For the first half of the year, I struggled and wasn't really
fulfilling my end of the bargain," Adams said. "The way I look at
it, I'm supposed to make the majority of the saves. Some are going
to go. If I can stop them more than it goes in, I'm doing my
part."